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ISLAMABAD: Rejecting the allegations of secret funds, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira on Friday said that a specific impression was being created against the ministry through a propaganda campaign.

Talking to PTV from Barcelona, Spain, he said that the propaganda campaign was started by the Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly and now this impression was being reflected in the media.

He said that the total budget of the ministry, as shown in the budget document, was Rs 5.58 billion, out of which Rs 3.4 billion were allocated for Radio Pakistan as it was not an earning organization.

Qamar Zaman Kaira said that Rs 250 million were earmarked for Pakistan Television.

“We have a number of organizations, including Directorate of Film Publication (DFP), Press Council of Pakistan (PCP) and Press Information Department (PID) while Rs 530 million are allocated for press attaches abroad,” he added.

About the secret fund, Kaira clarified that Rs 100 million were reserved for special publicity fund while a small amount of Rs 12 million was kept under the head of secret fund.

This amount is meant for the treatment of the ailing journalists and their family members, or their local and foreign tours, he added.

He said that newspersons of various countries were invited to visit Pakistan and they were looked after from this budgetary allocation.

The minister said that press clubs located in various parts of the country were also supported from this fund.

He, however, said that allegations of secret fund of Rs 4 billion or more were totally false, fabricated and baseless.

The minister requested the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the judges to thoroughly probe this baseless allegation.

He assured that all relevant record would be produced before the court. It is the responsibility of the court to take a stern action against those who tried to use the judiciary and spread misperception, he added.